Command & Conquer 3,5: Religious Vengeance
by Dragon Serpent
Summary: Six months after the Third Tiberium War, GDI picks ups a strange heat signature from the middle of nowhere. Believing that it is connected with the Brotherhood of Nod, the whole world will soon experience the wrath of an old enemy!
1. Chapter 1

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: The characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited._

Historian's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of _Tiberium Wars_. If you have not read _Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars_, then please don't bother reading this… unless you love action, tragedy, mild romance and adventure!

**CHAPTER ONE**

The weather today was dismal. An ion storm that had now lasted for two hours was still strongly in effect. This rewarded the soldiers of Fort Dix some R&R as they could not possibly do any drills or exercise outside without getting scorched to death. Inside a tall, triangular structure on the very top floor, Battle Commander Michael McNeil overlooked through his long rectangular window at ion lightning striking everywhere above several barracks and two airfields. The sky itself was filled with yellow clouds that were just bursting with ion lightning. The entire fort was surrounded with a 10m concrete wall and the only way in was through a security checkpoint equipped with a 3m thick iron gate. Normally, the gate would be guarded by two GDI infantry soldiers, but with the storm, they were called off duty and were replaced with two automated turrets programmed to shoot anyone that the security scanner did not recognize.

After a moment, McNeil turned around to glance over his office. His hope of seeing something better than the ion storm was diminished. The office was only one hundred and fifty metres even. There was a single-sized bed in one corner with a wardrobe right next to it. McNeil pondered on why a military officer would need one as the only clothes he would ever wear was his standard GDIUP BC rank uniform. Again, he thought about that. GDIUP stood for the Global Defense Initiative United Peacekeepers. 'Peacekeepers'. The BC snickered at that as he remembered when six months ago, the Brotherhood of Nod resurfaced to declare war and how the 22nd infantry division helped GDI crush them. There were no negotiations as far he could remember. Well, except for the time when during the middle of the war, some aliens paid a visit with their armada and declared war on mankind. Then, and only then, did GDI and Nod work together to liberate Earth. However, Nod eventually betrayed GDI when the aliens began building massive towers all around the world. Where GDI kept destroying them, Nod did whatever they could to defend them. Unfortunately, one tower located in the world's largest Red Zone was completed before GDI got to it. That tower was impervious to anything GDI could throw at it, even their Mark IV ion cannons. On the good side, GDI scientists concluded that the tower was completely inert, completely harmless. '_Would have been better if they could find out why the hell it was built!_' McNeil thought.

Just then, a buzz reverberated around his office, indicating that someone was waiting at the door.

"Enter," the BC answered as he straightened himself. The door slid open upward, allowing a middle-aged white man wearing the basic GDIUP uniform and a hat embedded with a major's oak leaf on the front. His nose was a little larger than the norm, and a dark moustache flecked with bits of grey sat on his upper lip. He took a few steps in the room and saluted his superior, which McNeil returned.

Then with a clipped British accent, the man replied, "You wanted to see me, Sir?" The BC took a breath before speaking.

"What is the current weather status?" he asked. Hastings looked at him quizzically, and to his credit, McNeil noticed. "I would ask EVA, but my office server is temporarily down." That reset the Major's face.

"Good news is that In-Ops have informed us that the storm should be over in the next hour. The bad news is that EVA says the ion storm is extremely unstable unlike most of the storms we've had. Probability of equipment failure and getting electrocuted are both at 82%. While the troops are indoors, Captain Opahle has organised them to do basic training such as 100 press-ups, sit-ups, squats, star ju-",

"I know the basic training Hastings, considering the scheme was my idea." McNeil interrupted with a grin.

"Sorry Sir," the Major responded.

"Forget it. Has there been any news on Nod lately?" the BC questioned. Hastings looked bored.

"In the past six months… nothing. Since they lost the war, they've gone back in hiding by the look of things." he finished. McNeil looked blankly and saw that the Major was distressed.

"Is there something wrong Major?" the BC asked. Hastings immediately straightened.

"No Sir, although I do have a report from In-Ops concerning something unusual." The Major replied. McNeil just stared like he was looking at an idiot.

"For shite's sake Major, why didn't you tell me straight away?" Hastings slightly grinned at that.

"Apologies Sir, but I appreciated the small chat," he replied. That got another smile from the BC. McNeil just looked at the Major, a sign to keep talking. "Since the end of TWIII, Nod's activity in North Carolina had heavily decreased. However, just recently, satellite surveillance has picked up a strange heat signature in the region. What's more alarming is the fact that it was detected very close to the border of D.C.!" Hastings finished.

The Battle Commander thought about what had just been said before speaking.

"Has General Granger been informed?" he enquired.

"He was the first person who got the report and the person who linked it to us." the Major replied. That perked up McNeil's ears.

"He sent it specifically to us?" the BC said.

"Yes Sir! The report was followed with an order to investigate the area. And I'm pleased to say that the General has given the 22nd the gig" Hastings happily remarked. "The level of force is to be decided by you Sir."

McNeil thought through quickly and replied.

"Send Company 7 in," he said, "And have a few Orcas on standby in case things get too hot." Then with one last smile, McNeil finished, "I believe Captain Vega has new recruits that can do with a good exercise!"


	2. Chapter 2

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: The characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited._

**CHAPTER TWO**

The alarm clock began ringing at an incredible rate that the woman lying in the bed moaned as she grudgingly sat herself up and turned it off. On a small table next to the bed lied seven pills in a container. The woman grabbed them and gulped them down with a glass of water which was next to the container. These pills had become a standard for the residents in B-2, which was one of the major Blue Zones in the world. There were only 17 Blue Zones in the world, and they were all overpopulated. There were also 41 Yellow Zones and 22 Red Zones. Red Zones have suffered the worst contamination from Tiberium and are now completely uninhabitable to all life forms. Blue Zones had no contamination whatsoever. Yellow Zones were kind of in the middle between the Red and Blues.

The woman didn't have any windows in her apartment, but her holographic displayer on the wall in front of the bed indicated that was a clear sunny day; a rarity. The displayer also revealed a big ion storm twenty miles East, around where one of GDI's bases were. The woman then got up and entered the shower. A few moments later as she stepped out, her Pip Boy began flashing a blue light, indicating that someone was on the communication line. When she flicked it open, a hologram of another woman's face showed up. Instead of having Asian looks as the woman who answered, she had a slight chubby face with somewhat delicate features.

"So Annabella, you finally got up?" she asked. The Asian woman kept one hand on her towel around the waist as the other grabbed a nearby cup of tea. Normally, Annabella would have preferred tea before even stepping into the bathroom. However, since the Third Tiberium War was over, she found herself finally being able to relax much more than she used to. Besides, who wouldn't? Kane was apparently dead and the alien invaders had been exterminated.

True, the war did cause a significant deal of damage to the world's economy, (which most wars do), but the people were so happy to be alive that they worked harder then ever to restore it. Annabella smiled as she remembered when last week, she did a story on the Corp Engineers who finished rebuilding the borders of all the Blue Zones. Now they had begun repairing the buildings of the civilized world and even built some new ones. She remembered the city of Rio in Brazil, (Y-3) had been listed as one of the most devastated towns in the world. What facilities were left were being raided or destroyed by mobs of angry people. Very fortunately, GDI was able to quell the insurrection with minimum casualties.

To ensure the city remained safe from further rebellion, GDI had setup three Administration Centers along with a local military garrison.

"Earth to Annabella?" the hologram said. Annabella automatically recollected herself.

"Sorry Penny, I just drifted off a little," she replied.

"I noticed," Penny answered. "Anyway we might a have new story on our hands and I figured you would want it." Annabella rolled her eyes at that.

"No offense Penny, but you've said that dozens of times these past months. And all the stories I have done are getting hardly any click rates!" she explained.

"Shush and hear me out," Penney ordered. "This story might be worth something as I got the info from my good friend Sandra Telfair!" That got Annabella's attention. She knew that Sandra was a top GDI agent from In-Ops and she was the one who supplied General Granger with vital info. And from time to time, Penny 'persuades' Sandra to share it. Penny noticed the expression on Annabella's face. "Well now that I have your attention, here is what I heard. According to Sandra, there was a strange heat signature just outside of this city in North Carolina." Annabella looked a little confused.

"And what is so surprising about that?" she asked. Penny glared at her furiously.

"The fact is that since TWIII, North Carolina is a dead zone. Now all of a sudden in the middle of nowhere, GDI gets this!" Penny said with a hint of excitement. "Obviously this could be something! And I also heard that the same heroic division in TWIII is going to check it out!"

"Well actually, there were two heroic divisions," Annabella stated. "The 3rd and the 22nd. Which one is it?" she questioned.

"The 22nd once again!" Penny replied. Annabella looked a little upset. Due to her credit, Penny noticed.

"What's the matter?" she enquired. Annabella titled her head up to Penny's eyes.

"Don't you think that between the two, the 22nd is being a bit too…cocky?" She said. "I mean I know that the BC in the 22nd is more widely known that the 3rd's, but that's no reason t cast them aside. It's like the world forgot it was the 3rd that saved Washington D.C., destroyed the Nod Temple, and took out the alien tower in Rome!" she told.

"Do you want it or not?" Penny asked with a smile. Annabella just smiled back at that. According to her W3N contract, Penny can send her to do any story without question or argument. _Well at least this one sounds interesting_, Annabella thought.

"Well I'll just get ready then," she answered.

"Good! See you at my office." Penny exclaimed.


	3. Chapter 3

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: The characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited._

**CHAPTER THREE**

Inside Barrack 7, the several members of Company 7 were occupied in a high-stake poker game. Among them were Captains Ricardo Vega and Tera Gallagher. After a few minutes, four people dropped out, leaving only the Captains and two recruits. As the flop went down, Vega studied his hand. He currently held two Kings and inwardly smiled. With the one King, a two and an Ace among the flop, he could easily win without needing extra cards. After having gone round twice, there were now two additional cards in the flop; a Queen and a four. The recruits' game faces were very impressive simply because there were no expressions displayed. As Vega glanced at Gallagher, he noticed that she was slightly frowning. Understandable as the current pot was now 500 credits. That was a weekly paycheck for Captains in Giddy-Up. The other members were just watching them like frozen statues. Eventually, Vega decided he would risk it.

"Call and raise 100!" he said as he threw in one green chip and two red ones. The recruits finally gave a little as their eyes bulged at the big pile of chips. The recruit on Vega's left showed his cards first. He had red hair and was a South African. The only reason he joined Giddy-Up was because it was either that or two years in jail. He was wearing black combat trousers and his dog tags. Emblazoned on his half-developed chest was his name, 'Nikelle Normanza' in a devilish style tattoo. He threw down a Queen and two threes. _A pair of Queens was pretty good_, Vega thought. _Except my hand is the clear winner._

The next recruit threw his hand down. His name was Harvard Miller, the only son of a high level ranking GDI scientist. His jet black hair and the serious sharply-boned face said nothing else. It was three Jacks. _Not good enough_,Vega smiled. Now it was Gallagher's turn. Noticing the look on Vega's face, Tera smiled back as she threw her cards down. Everyone in the room gasped dramatically as if they were in a theatre. There was one five and… two Aces! Tera's smile on her beautiful balanced face half covered with brown hair at shoulder-length just grew wider. _Fotze! _Vega thought.

"Something wrong Puke?" she asked. Vega glared at her hatefully as he folded. Although he didn't care anymore that Gallagher called her that, she could at least show him some respect in front of the recruits, let alone privates or lieutenants. She was still grinning as she collected her winnings.

"Crack off Gallagher," Vega replied, even though most of his voice was lost by the company's laughter. Suddenly, the entrance door slid open. Everyone in the entire room turned to see their guest and shut up immediately when they realized it was Captain Henry. He wore the same blue captain-rank GDIUP uniform as Vega and Gallagher except there was one difference. Everyone could easily see the man's wrinkles; displaying years of combat experience and formidable knowledge of battle tactics.

With a smart American accent, the Captain barked out orders instantly.

"Ten-hut! We have been given a new assignment from our beloved Battle Commander and Company 7 has been given it." He finished. Vega could not believe his luck. He had been stuck in Fort Dix ever since the war ended and though he did appreciate the luxury time, he wanted to rather be out on the field like a soldier should be.

"It is an honour Captain!" Vega answered. "What's the mission?" Henry smiled, revealing even more wrinkles. Personally, Vega thought it didn't suit him.

"Just a few hours ago, In-Ops detected a strange heat signature in North Carolina and it was pretty close to the border of Washington D.C. Being the closest, the 22nd have been ordered to investigate the area for anything suspicious and report back immediately. That's all." Henry explained. Vega inwardly sighed. A simple surveillance sweep. Not quite what he expected. Still, it was a blessing. He waited for the Captain to say something.

"What are you waiting for Vega?" Henry asked. Vega looked surprised.

"Well Sir, the ion storm is still in effect." Vega replied. Henry glared at him as if he was stupid.

"Well if you paid just a little less attention to your game, you would have noticed that the storm died half an hour ago! Now double time it to the _Huron_!" the Captain finished. He turned and marched out of the door. Vega just looked embarrassed while Gallagher looked as if Christmas came early. A few moments later, Company 7 had assembled onboard the _Huron _equipped with their standard battle suits and the new GD4s that had a grenade launcher along with the ability of firing bullets. Some of the men still preferred the GD3s which was just a machine gun. Though not as powerful as the GD4s, they were much more reliable. Then all of a sudden, the carrier trembled like an earthquake, indicating to Vega that the _Huron _had taken off.

"ETA to destination, 20 minutes!" the pilot announced through an intercom. Everyone slightly shifted in their seats at the though of going into a possible battlefield. Strictly speaking, North Carolina had always been and still is Nod territory. Considering that the heat signature was detected there, it was logical to think that Nod might be up to something again. _Guess I'll just wait and find out! _Vega thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: The characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited._

**CHAPTER FOUR**

North Carolina was always considered a badlands, but Annabella didn't know it was this bad. In a desert-like region, there were a few dozen buildings, all in total ruins; almost half of them were even overrun with Tiberuim encroaching all around it. There were no people in sight as they were all sheltering inside the buildings from a local ion storm. Unlike the one she noticed above Fort Dix, this ion storm was striking everywhere on the _ground_ let alone the atmosphere. Each time the lightning struck the buildings, a large piece of concrete would fly off and disintegrate in mid-air. The damage was definitely enormous. In fact, so much that Annabella feared how much longer it would be for this Yellow Zone to be re-classed as Red. The screen then suddenly when blank and switched to the W3N logo. Penny got up from her chair and turned to face Annabella.

"Well, now you what your holiday destination looks like!" she said. Annabella was in slight shock but tried to hide it. She turned her eyes around Penny's office, which was full of many antiques displayed on a cabinet. She wondered how Penny ever managed to win the '_1__st_ _State Woman Runner_'. Then again, the trophy was dated 2043. The present year was 2051. Annabella assumed Penny must have put on weight during the gap. The office was covered in a mahogany layered floorboard. That was the biggest surprise to Annabella. Since plant life was endangered thanks to the green substance of death, furniture and equipment made of real wood had essentially become rare antiques worth thousands of credits. Obviously being the head of the largest news network paid really well.

"So when do I leave?" she asked. Penny beamed at her.

"Great, I'll just find ou-, "Penny started before her Pip Boy began beeping. Both women turned their attention to her communicator as it generated a hologram of a Japanese woman with even black hair lying elegantly on her shoulders. Her voice was also gentle, but full of authority and power.

"_I'm afraid I got bad news for you Penny!_" she said. "_The 22__nd__ just took off five minutes ago!_"

Penny's face immediately transformed from a cool, docile look to an incredible, red rage.

"WHAT?" she almost bellowed. "Why the hell didn't you warn me?"

Sandra tried to appear sincere, even though she obviously wasn't.

"_First, I only just found out myself,_" she said. "_Secondly, I couldn't tell you even I did find out earlier_. _Granger has given strict orders to not inform you on this incident!_"

Penny just stared at her with dark eyes.

"And now that the 22nd has already left, it's safe for you to tell me now?" Sandra slightly let loose a smile "Annabella had to admit she was keeping her cool extremely well. Maybe she was enjoying this.

"_Exactly! Now if you don't mind, I have some more important work to do!_" Sandra replied.

The hologram then dissipated and the Pip Boy shut itself down. Annabella looked at Penny.

Right," Penny said to Annabella. "I know I'm going to break some strings, but one way or another, you're going to North Carolina!" Annabella couldn't help but snicker.

"Um sorry Penny, but what is the point of going now?" she asked.

"Because Granger doesn't prefer W3N there, it means that this is definitely going to be one hell of a story! And I tell you now Miss Wu that I am not going to let this opportunity slip!" Penny replied.

With that, Penny typed in a few commands into her Pip Boy. She stared at it for a moment before turning her attention back to Annabella.

"So what have you done?" the reporter questioned. Penny smiled.

"Take a look outside!" she answered. Annabella looked stunned for a moment before she turned to the window and glanced overhead the big tall skyscraper on the other side of the street at the helipad. Annabella looked at Penny with a shocked face.

"You are kidding me, right?" she squeaked.


	5. Chapter 5

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The sky was filled with yellow clouds that were pouring heavy, toxic rain. Strangely enough, a black crow was flying towards the clouds, despite the suspicion that the clouds were hiding an ion storm. Thanks to Tiberium, almost every species had become endangered. Though most of them were safeguarded in zoos in blue zones, some animals such as the crocodile, which used to be quite common, were now extinct. There were still some wildlife in yellow zones, but considering they were heavily radiated, it was impossible to allow them into the safety of blue zones. So on and on the black crow kept flying. As it moved above the clouds, it became confused. Normally, the crow would be able to see the Sun clearly. Instead, the sky was dark like an eclipse. The crow glanced up and saw, (instead of a Sun), a massive air carrier fitted with two engines. The sheer size of the machinery astounded the crow. It decided to forget going towards the sun and turned around to fly away. The carrier blasted through the sky towards an uneven landscape that was covered with dust, sand and Tiberium. There were some big green crystals that covered the abandoned city. Inside the _Huron_, Vega wondered what was going to happen. After all, just before TWIII, GDI discovered a strange power reading from this same location. Upon investigation, they realised Nod was up to something. _What if they are behind this? _he thought. He stopped when the _Huron_ arrived at its destination.

The torn-down building was in complete shambles. It had once been a castle with four towers around it, but they had crumpled on top of themselves. Strangely, it was the one building in the dead city that was not affected by Tiberium. And according to Vega's HUD map, it was the exact location of the heat signature. The _Huron_ touched down next to a poorly maintained helipad. The big side door on the carrier opened, allowing two APCs to drive out. Sitting in the first APC were Private Miller, Private Nikelle and Captain Vega. The driver was a NCO named Richard. The second APC contained three other privates along with their NCO driver. All of them except the drivers, (who were wearing bio suits), were in standard GDI battle suits. Of course, being in a Yellow Zone, the suits were welded up more efficiently to prevent any Tiberium radiation seeping in. They were all equipped with fully loaded GD4s that could fire bullets and grenades. Along with the weapon, they had seven more magazines, each containing sixty rounds. They also had seven grenades for the launcher. As a sidearm, each man had a Nighthawk pistol with five clips, each containing thirty rounds. The GD4 was a powerful weapon, but many still wished there could be something better. Thankfully, the GDI scientists had almost perfected the GD5s which could switch between bullets or a railgun. The GD5s were soon going to be tested at a training centre back in B2. If successful, they would be immediately mass produced for the military. Of course at first, they would be restricted to a few companies, but eventually accessible to all.

Vega shook his happy thought as he noticed that the APCs had arrived at the demolished building.

"Here we are gentlemen!" Richard announced. "Good luck." The men from both APCs stepped out and readied their GD4s. Up close, the building looked ominous and intimidating.

"So what's the plan?" Nikelle spoke. "We go in, take a look, wipe out anything suspicious, report in and go home?" It was only a week ago when he was assigned to his company, but Vega hated the way Nikelle talked on the battlefield; like everything was always so simple. With Nod, it never was.

"Nothing is that simple Private," Vega replied. "Now here is how this going down." He pointed at the three unknown privates. Their name tags said, Winston, Brian and Carlos. "You three secure the perimeter and cover all exits. If anything tries to make break for it, I want it stunned or stopped. Not killed or destroyed. Understood?"

The three privates stood at attention. They left on the right side of the building and went round the back. When Vega saw them approach their positions on his HUD, he signalled to Nikelle and Miller to bust the main door open. Despite being big, the twin doors were already broken and extremely light. They fell with one kick. The limited sunlight getting through the sky revealed a lot of old computers and other outdated technology. But what scared Vega and the others was that they were still operational and running. As they sifted through the stockpile, Vega thought he noticed an animal. He turned over a discarded motherboard and saw the illusion. It was not an animal exactly, but an image of a black scorpion enclosed in a red triangle. It was Nod's insignia. Now Vega was really freaked out. This means that this building was in the hands of the Brotherhood. And the fact that the old tech was still up and running suggested that Nod was still here. What was going on? And then, a door on the other side of the room opened…


	6. Chapter 6

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: Except for the storyline, the characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited. I copyright only two characters, Nikelle and Miller, whom I invented._

Historian's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of _Tiberium Wars_. If you have not read _Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars_, then please don't bother reading this… unless you love action, tragedy, mild romance and adventure!

**CHAPTER SIX**

The helicopter that Annabella was sitting in was flying through, what she thought was hell. Y-6 already looked like that, but… fotze! The smell of the place was just plain death. She then set her cam drone to automatic and turned her attention to the pilot.

"Are we almost there yet, Mack?" Annabella asked. Mack only slightly turned his head to the radar and then her way.

"Just about. ETA 1 minute!" he replied. The helicopter decreased its altitude to 500 feet. Annabella knew she was close to ground level, and yet the thick fog was blocking almost everything from view. A deep rumbling sound began. Both Mack and Annabella looked at each other in surprise. "Probably just another minor earthquake," he reassured. But the roar only got louder and Annabella realised it was in the air. "Oh hell, we got something on the radar!" Mack shouted. Annabella looked to see two small red dots closing in on their position from behind. _Oh fotze! What is it? WHAT IS IT?_, Annabella's mind repeated. As the roaring sound reached its peak and the two red dots matched their position, two aircraft flew by on either side of the helicopter. The powerful jetwash sent Mack's machine flying out of control. Annabella desperately clung on to her headrest as the Mack bellowed, "HOLD ON!"

After a few seconds, Mack eventually regained control and steadied the helicopter.

"What the fotze was that?" Annabella shouted. Mack merely looked nervous as he replied.

"I think they were Venoms. You know… Nod's main fighter aircraft!" Annabella was stunned and her eyes opened wider when she saw some smoke pluming ahead.

"What's our altitude now?" she asked. Mack took another look at the dials and almost fainted.

"75 feet!" he squeaked. _Holy shite! We could have crashed to the ground and died!_ Annabella shook her head of such negative thoughts and focused on her job.

"Get us closer to that smoke!" she ordered. She rocked back in her seat as the helicopter followed her command and flew towards the smoke. As they got very close, the thick fog cleared, allowing Mack and Annabella to see… and neither of them couldn't believe it.

There was an entire platoon of Nod troops taking cover in adjacent buildings and opening fire at a massive structure that seemed to be the only one not covered in Tiberium. And supporting the troops, were four Scorpion tanks along with the two Venoms that Mack and Annabella had encountered. As the tanks laid down a suppressing fire, the Venoms rained down bullets alongside the building's perimeter. Annabella still couldn't believe what she was seeing even though she had instinctively turned on her news drone to record.

"Hey, are those guys ours?" Mack asked as pointed towards Nod's target structure. Annabella took a closer observation and saw some troops in gold colour armour taking cover and firing back at the Nod forces. They were backed up by an APC on either side of the building. Even if Annabella hadn't known what their battle suits looked like, she knew that it was GDI.

_Oh yeah, thanks a lots Penny! _She angrily shouted in her mind. Despite what was said, Annabella was no longer doing an environmental documentary. She had entered a warzone, recording a battle!


	7. Chapter 7

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: Except for the storyline, the characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited. I copyright only two characters, Nikelle and Miller, whom I invented._

Historian's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of _Tiberium Wars_. If you have not read _Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars_, then please don't bother reading this… unless you love action, tragedy, mild romance and adventure!

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Back at Fort Dix, McNeil watched the monitors in his office. The video feed was being recorded on the 22nd's hud cam and being redirected via satellite to McNeil's EVA terminal. Unlike Vega however, he was not the least surprised. After 50 years, Nod was still around, even when GDI had apparently killed their leader Kane three times. Now once again, this time in just six months rather than years, Nod had resurfaced. McNeil pushed a button on the side of the terminal labelled 'Operating Commander'. This means the commander who is currently leading an operation in the designated area. In this case, it was Captain Vega.

"Vega, do you read me? What the hell is going on?" McNeil ordered. At first, there was nothing but static. Then a voice came over, almost silenced out by a barrage of gunfire and explosions.

"…This is Vega Sir! We came across a building that wasn't covered in Tiberium and ran into an ambush." Vega shouted. "We're currently engaging a full infantry platoon backed by four Scorpions and two Venoms! We can't hold out for much longer! What are our orders?"

McNeil seemed taken aback. Why was there such a force in that desolate area? McNeil was almost certain that Nod was the cause of the heat signature and that they were trying to cover their tracks. Just what exactly are they doing? Of course, the answer would not be provided if Vega and the rest of his squad pulled out. To learn the truth, GDI had to push forward. Six months had gone since GDI techs introduced a prototype of a mobile C&C. McNeil was still annoyed that they had not put it into production yet as he could now have helped Vega co-ordinate the battle. '_Glad I got some Orcas on standby'_ McNeil thought with a sly grin. He repressed the same button.

"Vega, hold your current position! Reinforcements are being dispatched!" McNeil replied. The receiving voice sounded a lot happier about that.

"Copy, Vega out!" the captain said. McNeil then released the button and talked to an intercom linked to his EVA unit.

"EVA, are those Orcas ready to fly yet?" he asked. A robotic woman voice filled the room.

"_Five Orcas are prepped to launch, however my sensors indicate that there is still a reasonable amount of ion interference in our immediate area._" McNeil barely suppressed a sigh.

"What does that mean for my Orcas?" he asked.

"_Probability of equipment malfunction: seventy six percent._" McNeil sighed heavier. 76% was a high number. Then a question popped into his mind.

"EVA, how come the _Huron _was able to launch?" McNeil enquired.

"_The _Huron_ is fitted with high efficiency armour designed to specifically withstand extreme weather conditions and enemy fire. Orcas however are equipped with light armour designed to provide manoeuvrability_" EVA stated. McNeil imaginably slapped himself. How did he miss that obvious reason? Well, back to the main subject.

"How long before the ion interference dies down?" he questioned further.

"_Estimated time for ion interference to dissipate for optimal flying condition is three hours._" McNeil banged his hands on the chair's rest. Three whole hours! That was ridiculous! Vega and his troops would be wiped out long before then and Nod would reinforce that position making further attacks much more difficult. That left McNeil with no choice. He breathed before speaking.

"EVA, I order those Orcas to take off NOW!" he shouted.


	8. Chapter 8

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: Except for the storyline, the characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited. I copyright only two characters, Nikelle and Miller, whom I invented._

Historian's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of _Tiberium Wars_. If you have not read _Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars_, then please don't bother reading this… unless you love action, tragedy, mild romance and adventure!

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Back on the battlefield, things were not looking good for Vega. The Scorpions were keeping him and his squad in the building. The APCs had their hands full with the Venoms. All the while, the Nod platoon was slowly but certainly moving forward. Vega, Nikelle and Miller were together firing away their precious ammunition which was critically dwindling. The other three soldiers on the other side of the building were scattered and losing ground fast. At this rate, Vega predicted his team will be all out in twenty minutes. Just then a small explosion erupted behind them. Vega took a quick glance back and returned to the battle with a heavy heart. The APC on their side had been utterly destroyed, the driver most certainly dead. As he continued emptying rounds on the Nod soldiers that didn't duck for cover in time, Vega's comms went wild with shouts from the three recruits.

"Sir, our ammo is almost dry! Our APC is nearly beat and no matter how many Noddies we kill, they just keep pushing!" they all shouted. When a Scorpion had locked on to Vega, he ducked in time to see a shell whizzing by. He closed his eyes. Perhaps it would only be two minutes before they die.

Another explosion erupted. This time it sounded slightly further away. Vega reluctantly turned his head to see if the remaining APC had finally bought it. But there it was amongst the recruits, still firing and still mobile. Nikelle shook his shoulder.

"Look Sir, they did it, by fotze, they did it!" he shouted as he pointed forward. Vega looked up and surprise overwhelmed him. The explosion had been the result of an Air-to-Ground Missile coming into contact with one of the Scorpion Tanks. As the smoke died away, Vega began hearing a roar in the sky. When he saw that the Nod platoon had halted their march and began pulling back, Vega turned to see the most beautiful view he had seen all day. Five Orcas in a tight formation flew past them and rained a load of missiles down on the Nod soldiers, killing most of them and wiping out the other Scorpions. The Venoms quickly recognised the new threat and turned their attention to it. Hearing a motor rev, Vega and his men saw the APC drive into the open. While the Orcas pulled off evasive manoeuvres, the APC picked off the distracted Venoms. As they're damaged aircraft crashed and exploded, the remaining Nod soldiers began bugging out. Vega could not believe it. They had won!

"_Hey, anyone read me down there?_" an Orca pilot asked. Vega tapped his comm.

"Glad to see you guys could make it!" Vega laughed as his men celebrated the close victory.

Just as Vega was about to cross over to the recruits, his HUD identified another incoming transmission. When Vega pressed a button on the side of his helmet to establish video uplink, McNeil's hologram appeared.

"_Give me a SITREP Captain!_" he ordered. Vega grinned slightly.

"Building is secure Sir! We've lost one APC and its driver. No further casualties." He reported. Before McNeil could reply, the transmission is cut by the chatter of the Orca pilots.

"_Sir, this is McKnight! All the Orcas including mine are experiencing some malfunction up here!_" one of them said. Vega watched the recruits look up in shock and tilted his heads upward to match their view and emotion. All five Orcas were still flying, but swinging a little from side to side. For all Vega knew, they could crash any moment. "_Sir, we simply can't fly like this; requesting permission to return to base!_" McKnight asked.Back at Fort Dix, McNeil seemed angry. He saw seven Nod Buggys, five Attack Bikes, three Scorpion Tanks and two odd looking reinforced vehicles on the satellite monitors. They would be upon Vega in one minute.

"FOTZE!" McNeil shouted in rage as he banged a fist on his desk. The hopelessness of the situation began to daunt on him. The Orcas' malfunction must have transpired from flying through the ion interference. From their current status, they were in no condition to stay in the air. But without the Orcas, Vega had no chance at all to hold the building. There was only one option left. The one McNeil had always hated.

McNeil pressed the communicator button with a grim face. "McKnight, you and the other Orcas are clear to return to base!" He stopped briefly to change frequencies. "Vega, there is another wave of Nod troops heading your way. The Orcas are pulling out and I am ordering you to do the same. Retreat!" Vega answered back immediately.

"_Pull out? But Sir, what about all of this Nod equipment, we can't just let them have it. Should we destroy them?_" McNeil glanced at the monitors and his eyes widened.

"Too late, they'll be on you in twenty seconds! Get out of there now!" Back in the yellow zone, Vega hung up and spoke on all of his men's frequencies.

"Everyone, double time it to the APC! Move, move!" Quickly, Vega and the others rushed inside the cover of the APC. As the driver put the 'peddle to the mettle', Vega heard cannon shells blast nearby. He turned to take one last glance of the enemy surrounding the building they had briefly occupied. As the Nod troops took the building, a helicopter not to far off, had recorded everything. Annabella sat back. _Well, this will make one interesting story_. She turned her attention to the pilot.

"Alright, we've got all of the footage, let's get out of here!" she ordered. Mack replied with a grin.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" and with that, the helicopter turned and flew back into the storm…


	9. Chapter 9

**C&C 3.5: Religious Vengeance**

_Disclaimer Notes: Except for the storyline, the characters, themes and locations are copyrighted under Electronic Arts Inc. This book is only for my personal use. Should anyone take this, be advised publishing without EA's permission is prohibited. I copyright only two characters, Nikelle and Miller, whom I invented._

Historian's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of _Tiberium Wars_. If you have not read _Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars_, then please don't bother reading this… unless you love action, tragedy, mild romance and adventure!

**Chapter Nine**

Back in Blue Zones and some Yellow Zones around the world, people in their homes were viewing the W3N News being presented by William Frank. Before speaking, Frank seemed to be quite excited.

"_Good morning, ladies and gentleman. I'm William Frank and you're watching W3N News. Our top story today comes from North Carolina, a city that has been renowned as a supporter of Nod, despite the fact that it shares borders with the Washington D.C. Blue Zone. We're going live now to Annabella Wu, on our news helicopter._" Thousands of screens worldwide are redirected via satellite to a barren Yellow Zone that was North Carolina.

"_Thank you William. I am here on the helicopter still unable to believe what transpired here just hours ago. According to unofficial sources, GDI were investigating something in North Carolina badlands only to be ambushed by Nod forces apparently waiting in the area." The top right of the screen showed a clip of the battle footage Annabella had recorded. "It seems that the force GDI sent in was none other a detachment from the 22__nd__ battalion under the leadership of legendary Battle Commander Michael McNeil." On the top right of the screen, a holo of the said commander's face was shown. Annabella was clearly enjoying this broadcast, even though she remembered that she almost got sucked in the battle. "Unfortunately due to Nod's numbers, the 22__nd__ battalion was forced to retreat, leaving whatever they discovered to Nod. The general public is now tense as this is the first official reporting of Nod activity since the Third Tiberium War. Despite his apparent death at Temple Prime, some even speculate whether this attack was organised by Nod's leader, Kane. The question that remains to be answered is what GDI's reaction to this random attack is going to be. Back to you William,_" Annabella finished.

Once again, television screens worldwide were redirected back to the W3N Station in D.C.; to William Frank.

"_Thank you Miss Wu. Indeed this was a strange occurrence. We ask that the public remain as this may not be anything to be alarmed about. Let's now go to Cassandra Blair on the budget summit being held at –._ " The TV screen blacked out to be replaced by GDI's logo. General Granger stood there in thought for a moment before placing the remote down his desk and checking his computer terminal for any new reports. It was almost 11:30pm. Most of GDI' personnel had gone home. The people remaining were Granger himself and a couple of technicians re-checking the security and integrity of the command base. When Granger found that were no new reports, he sat back in his chair and leaned back. This was not looking good. It was only just a few hours ago that he received the report from McNeil before the news was broadcast to the public. "_Outdated computer technology; why did Nod have such a vast amount in that building?_" Granger thought. It just didn't make any sense. He was about to turn off his computer terminal when a dead envelope icon flashed in blue light; indicating that a new report had been filed. Granger opened it up and was struck with the title, "_GDI Reykjavik Command: Possible Kane Sighting_" He read on:

"_Following the destruction of Temple Prime during TWIII, it has been believed that Kane had been killed. However, we recently had to deal with a large power outage at the Reykjavik command centre which occurred at around 11:13pm. When power had been restored at 11:27pm, three Engineers Corps members along with two GDI guards detected a holo disc on the floor of the main office. When analyzed, the contents of the disc were immediately shown to the GDI council and to all other top ranking personnel. The contents have been deemed... unnerving. What is of more concern is how the disc ended up at the command centre without us locating of whoever delivered it, despite the high level of security. We currently suspect this may have been set up by an insider. We are now gathering information of all staff that was present at the time of the power outage. Until we have the necessary details, all non-military personnel are no longer allowed into the command centre. End of report._" The report had been signed along with the name of the writer, "_Battle_ _Commander Leon Rivas, in charge of the 16__th__ Battalion_". Just under the report was a disc icon, most likely the 'unnerving' content. With his curiosity deeply troubled, Granger clicked it open.

The scenery was very dull. Judging from the old furniture, neatly stacked shelves of books, and a mass of computer technology, Granger would have guessed it was an old preserved building from past civilisation before the outbreak of Tiberium. But since all of the shown equipment were emblazoned with Nod's logo, the General knew it must some underground base. Indeed seconds later, two Nod soldiers with their red typical armour and assault rifles came in front of the video drone. They saluted seemingly at the drone and a voice told them to be at ease. Although that was not how it was said. It was instead, '_Rest my children_," Granger was frozen to the spot. He knew there was no mistaking that deceptive, cold voice. "_And he cried in a loud voice, _'_Lazarus, come forth!_' Granger's eyes widened as far as they could when a familiar figure stepped into view. The hooded man was wearing some kind of red-black ceremonial robe with a Nod insignia on the left side of the torso and on either side of the collar. The figure lowered his hood, and Granger's expression was mixed with shock and anger. The bald man spoke to the drone,_ "And Lazarus did arise from the grave_"... the screen corrupted to static, then went blank and returned to the report. The General was speechless and decided to just sit in quiet contemplation, burning anger barely contained in his watery eyes...


End file.
